Status
Available
Call number
Publication
St. Martin's Press (2014), Edition: 1st, 309 pages
Description
Sparked by a controversial debate in February 2014, Bill Nye has set off on an energetic campaign to spread awareness of evolution and the powerful way it shapes our lives. In Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, he explains why race does not really exist; evaluates the true promise and peril of genetically modified food; reveals how new species are born, in a dog kennel and in a London subway; takes a stroll through 4.5 billion years of time; and explores the new search for alien life, including aliens right here on Earth. With infectious enthusiasm, Bill Nye shows that evolution is much more than a rebuttal to creationism; it is an essential way to understand how nature works -- and to change the world. It might also help you get a date on a Saturday night.… (more)
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
In February of this year (2014), Bill Nye the Science Guy debated Ken Ham, a Creationist over the question of evolution. Who won, of course, depends on which side of the question you fall on but one thing was very clear: in his own calm, inimitable way, Bill is very passionate about the subject.
He talks about the scientific basis for evolution including Darwin’s theories and what they really mean. According to Nye, it is not as straightforward as ‘survival of the fittest’. Evolution occurs, mainly, in small increments, some small advantage that, as it is passed down through generations, becomes a big advantage, allowing the offspring to survive when others of the species are lost to history: it is not so much ‘survival of the fittest’ as ‘survival of the just good enough’: the giraffe with the slightly longer neck, the bird with the slightly hooked beak, the group of hominids with a slightly bigger brain in relation to their size. Whatever this small advantage is, over generations, it evolves incrementally within the species. That first giraffe with the slightly longer neck eventually leads to the giraffes we see today with their extremely long necks.
He also discusses how evolution affects us today in terms of science and ethics: cloning, GMOs, and stem-cell research among other issues. He explains the difference between micro- and macro- evolution and how it is happening all around us not to mention to us and has been happening for approximately 3.5 billion years from the first one-celled organism to us, homo sapiens and why the idea of different races doesn’t exist scientifically – we are all descended from that same one-celled creature that appeared an eon or two ago or, if that’s just too far back to imagine, the same pair of hominids who ‘got it on’, 100,000 years ago give or take a millennium.
And he goes further, speculating about what the future holds for future generations as well as what might be out their among the stars waiting for us to discover or perhaps to discover us. He also explains why Creationism fails as a theory in explaining the diversity of ecosystems and species extant today or the discovery of fossils of animals long gone, as well as its inability to predict future possibilities – denying evolution means denying any effect we might have on the planet or that there is anything we can do to change outcomes.
Undeniable is a fascinating read. Nye makes the science behind evolution easily accessible to those of us who don’t come from a scientific background. He infuses the work with interesting anecdotes about his own life as well as just a touch of humour to help those of us who never paid attention in biology because boring. So here’s to Bill Nye the Science Guy for making it clear why choosing evolution over creationism isn’t just a matter of philosophy but that it has real-world consequences and here’s to us, the survivors, the just good enoughs.
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This passion comes through in his new book Undeniable in which he discusses evolution and all the ways it matters. He talks about the scientific basis for evolution including Darwin’s theories and what they really mean. According to Nye, it is not as straightforward as ‘survival of the fittest’. Evolution occurs, mainly, in small increments, some small advantage that, as it is passed down through generations, becomes a big advantage, allowing the offspring to survive when others of the species are lost to history: it is not so much ‘survival of the fittest’ as ‘survival of the just good enough’: the giraffe with the slightly longer neck, the bird with the slightly hooked beak, the group of hominids with a slightly bigger brain in relation to their size. Whatever this small advantage is, over generations, it evolves incrementally within the species. That first giraffe with the slightly longer neck eventually leads to the giraffes we see today with their extremely long necks.
He also discusses how evolution affects us today in terms of science and ethics: cloning, GMOs, and stem-cell research among other issues. He explains the difference between micro- and macro- evolution and how it is happening all around us not to mention to us and has been happening for approximately 3.5 billion years from the first one-celled organism to us, homo sapiens and why the idea of different races doesn’t exist scientifically – we are all descended from that same one-celled creature that appeared an eon or two ago or, if that’s just too far back to imagine, the same pair of hominids who ‘got it on’, 100,000 years ago give or take a millennium.
And he goes further, speculating about what the future holds for future generations as well as what might be out their among the stars waiting for us to discover or perhaps to discover us. He also explains why Creationism fails as a theory in explaining the diversity of ecosystems and species extant today or the discovery of fossils of animals long gone, as well as its inability to predict future possibilities – denying evolution means denying any effect we might have on the planet or that there is anything we can do to change outcomes.
Undeniable is a fascinating read. Nye makes the science behind evolution easily accessible to those of us who don’t come from a scientific background. He infuses the work with interesting anecdotes about his own life as well as just a touch of humour to help those of us who never paid attention in biology because boring. So here’s to Bill Nye the Science Guy for making it clear why choosing evolution over creationism isn’t just a matter of philosophy but that it has real-world consequences and here’s to us, the survivors, the just good enoughs.
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LibraryThing member DLMorrese
This is a tale of the how, why, and when of life (although not necessarily in that order). It's a nontechnical explanation and an enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member VGAHarris
Entertaining like his TV program. Basically a point by point refutation of Creationist claims. Much of it derived from when he debated the Creationist Ham. Interesting commentary on intermediate species which Creationist claim would be a a death blow to Darwinian theory.
LibraryThing member PhilipJHunt
Bill Nye decided to write this book after debating so-called Creation Science with Ken Ham. So one might expect a point by point demolition job, but No. Instead, he puts his own case for evolution theory in a series of standalone chapters rather like separate TED talks. As a result the book is best
Will it persuade a dyed in the wool Creationist who believes God made the world about 6,000 years ago in less than a week? Of course not. But if one is already persuaded by Nye's general argument you will find the latest state of evolution science clearly and pleasantly delivered.
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read episodically, dipping into whatever angle you want to approach from. It's a light read, making complex ideas accessible. Will it persuade a dyed in the wool Creationist who believes God made the world about 6,000 years ago in less than a week? Of course not. But if one is already persuaded by Nye's general argument you will find the latest state of evolution science clearly and pleasantly delivered.
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LibraryThing member jillrhudy
I'm no scientist, but this was an incredibly accessible, fun book. Bill Nye's enthusiasm and humor enliven every page. I learned a lot! Deserves to become a classic in science education.
LibraryThing member sassafras
Excellent, thorough, accessible explanation of the science and biology behind evolution. Nye's almost unbridled enthusiasm really comes through on the audio as you can hear the excitement and wonder in his voice. He never gets too technical even when talking about the chemical makeup of the most
Recommended to anyone who is interested in science and wants to learn from a man who is still completely enthralled with the natural world.
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basic of building blocks, amino acids, while always keeping his eye on the big picture. His argument that the importance of science education can not be underestimated, is well-defended and compelling. Recommended to anyone who is interested in science and wants to learn from a man who is still completely enthralled with the natural world.
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LibraryThing member sassafras
Excellent, thorough, accessible explanation of the science and biology behind evolution. Nye's almost unbridled enthusiasm really comes through on the audio as you can hear the excitement and wonder in his voice. He never gets too technical even when talking about the chemical makeup of the most
Recommended to anyone who is interested in science and wants to learn from a man who is still completely enthralled with the natural world.
Show More
basic of building blocks, amino acids, while always keeping his eye on the big picture. His argument that the importance of science education can not be underestimated, is well-defended and compelling. Recommended to anyone who is interested in science and wants to learn from a man who is still completely enthralled with the natural world.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
This book came out of a debate between the author and a leading spokesperson for creationism. In layman's terms Nye presents a vast array of evidence to support the rational logic of evolution. Things like how did the ark hold all the plants to feed the animal's unique diets and after the flood was
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over how these plants mature to the point they could feed them to their final destinations? Also, how did species like the platypus and koala bear make it the whole way to Australia?. Nye ponders many other things like life in outer space and cloning. He handles everything with wit and enthusiasm in a very understandable way. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
This book came out of a debate between the author and a leading spokesperson for creationism. In layman's terms Nye presents a vast array of evidence to support the rational logic of evolution. Things like how did the ark hold all the plants to feed the animal's unique diets and after the flood was
Show More
over how these plants mature to the point they could feed them to their final destinations? Also, how did species like the platypus and koala bear make it the whole way to Australia?. Nye ponders many other things like life in outer space and cloning. He handles everything with wit and enthusiasm in a very understandable way. Show Less
LibraryThing member bibleblaster
I found this a really enjoyable and educational read. Beyond the straight talk about evolution, Nye helped me to understand some of the issues surrounding genetically modified crops, the search for life on other planets, and cloning that I had not understood before. Nye is the science guy for a
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layperson like me. Show Less
LibraryThing member stevesmits
“Teach the controversy”, they say. The “gaps” in evidence on evolution validates an alternate theory. “Irreducible complexity” of certain anatomical features (e.g. the human eye) must mean that sequential modifications were not possible since without all of its parts the whole would be
Few things make my blood boil more than the deceitful attempts of Christian/politico groups to impose religiously motivated doctrine on school curricula. These proponents of “creationism” and, lately, its thinly masqueraded cousin “intelligent design” claim that the theory of evolution has deep flaws and that other “scientific” explanations for the origins of the earth and the species deserve a place in classrooms alongside, if not instead of, evolution of life via the mechanism of natural selection.
It is astonishing that these arguments have received even the slightest hearing and very troubling that many school districts have caved in to such pressures. The unwillingness of many Americans to accept evolution as an established scientific principle throws unsettling light on the state of education and thinking in our supposedly advanced nation. Creationism and intelligent design may indeed have a place in the classroom, but it is in the social studies or civics classes considering issues related to church-state separation, not in the teaching of biology.
Theologians and religiously minded people have had difficulty with Darwin’s precepts from the instant of its publication. If you are a bible literalist the idea of an aeons-old earth and the incremental development of the vast species extant on the planet via random genetic mutations that help or hinder life to sustain is turned completely on its head by Darwin’s theory. Those willing to abandon literalism find comfort in reconciling religion and evolution by opining that evolution, while certainly at play, was started by and guided by a supreme being whose shining creative apotheosis is human kind. I personally find this notion incompatible with science since it requires a great conceptual leap from evidence-based, provable theory to a supernatural etiology beyond the reach of science. Religion has many useful functions for man, but explaining the natural world just isn’t one of them.
Creationists seem to hold on to the “it just ain’t so” approach to disputing the theory of evolution. This is acceptable for the pulpit, but not for public school classrooms since our constitutional principles forbid promoting religious doctrine in organs of the state. The tactic employed successfully by the creationists for decades was to get authorities to prohibit the teaching of evolution in biology classrooms. As the pressure of science educators to teach real science increased, the creationists "evolved" a new approach, the so-called intelligent design theory. Intelligent design (ID) claims to be a scientifically grounded theory that says because life is so complex it follows that it must have been purposely designed; ergo, there must be a designer. After all, the most complex machines such as airplane or computers could not exist unless designed by someone. While this notion has a certain intuitive cache its mortal flaw is that it is untestable, hence unprovable. Unlike all valid theories, intelligent design has no predictive potential. (Evolution by contrast has had enormous success in predicting the presence of once undiscovered evidence that supports the theory.) The intelligent design crowd is careful never to suggest that the “designer” is the Christian God or any other supreme being; that would undermine their advocacy that ID is constitutionally permissible in the public sector. They often resort to tautology in trying to support their assertions of the rationality of ID. They make use of “arguments of ignorance”, i.e. that flaws or gaps in proof for one theory prove the validity of an alternate theory. So, by this thinking, gaps in evidence (say, the so-called missing links in transition of species) of natural selection prove that another theory must be right. Well, a brick wall with a few missing bricks is still a brick wall. While careful to avoid sounding theological in public pronouncements ID advocates in their strategy sessions have been clear that they are seeking to advance religious credo. In the well-known federal court case Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District, the judge held, after a long bench trial where the views of ID and evolution were closely argued, that intelligent design was a ruse blatantly misrepresented as science whose introduction into classrooms was an impermissible crossing of the church-state boundaries.
Nye’s book is a collection of short chapters outlining the principles upon which the theory of evolution is grounded. Intended for the lay reader, Nye cogently describes how evolution works and, importantly, how the advance of theoretical, exploratory and experimental work since Darwin has cemented the validity of the theory. (For instance, the role of genes in passing along functions and traits was unknown for years after Darwin’s work.) Nye is a well-known science educator and recently engaged in a televised debate with a prominent creationist. This man’s position was so outlandish in its total adherence to the narrative of the bible that debating him was almost valueless until you consider that many people believe this version of history. It is a bit of a puzzle that Nye did not critique in much detail the positions of the intelligent design proponents as these are much more subtle and beguiling to the general public than strict biblical literalism
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non-functional. Evolution is, after all, just a “theory”, little more than speculation or a guess. Bah!Few things make my blood boil more than the deceitful attempts of Christian/politico groups to impose religiously motivated doctrine on school curricula. These proponents of “creationism” and, lately, its thinly masqueraded cousin “intelligent design” claim that the theory of evolution has deep flaws and that other “scientific” explanations for the origins of the earth and the species deserve a place in classrooms alongside, if not instead of, evolution of life via the mechanism of natural selection.
It is astonishing that these arguments have received even the slightest hearing and very troubling that many school districts have caved in to such pressures. The unwillingness of many Americans to accept evolution as an established scientific principle throws unsettling light on the state of education and thinking in our supposedly advanced nation. Creationism and intelligent design may indeed have a place in the classroom, but it is in the social studies or civics classes considering issues related to church-state separation, not in the teaching of biology.
Theologians and religiously minded people have had difficulty with Darwin’s precepts from the instant of its publication. If you are a bible literalist the idea of an aeons-old earth and the incremental development of the vast species extant on the planet via random genetic mutations that help or hinder life to sustain is turned completely on its head by Darwin’s theory. Those willing to abandon literalism find comfort in reconciling religion and evolution by opining that evolution, while certainly at play, was started by and guided by a supreme being whose shining creative apotheosis is human kind. I personally find this notion incompatible with science since it requires a great conceptual leap from evidence-based, provable theory to a supernatural etiology beyond the reach of science. Religion has many useful functions for man, but explaining the natural world just isn’t one of them.
Creationists seem to hold on to the “it just ain’t so” approach to disputing the theory of evolution. This is acceptable for the pulpit, but not for public school classrooms since our constitutional principles forbid promoting religious doctrine in organs of the state. The tactic employed successfully by the creationists for decades was to get authorities to prohibit the teaching of evolution in biology classrooms. As the pressure of science educators to teach real science increased, the creationists "evolved" a new approach, the so-called intelligent design theory. Intelligent design (ID) claims to be a scientifically grounded theory that says because life is so complex it follows that it must have been purposely designed; ergo, there must be a designer. After all, the most complex machines such as airplane or computers could not exist unless designed by someone. While this notion has a certain intuitive cache its mortal flaw is that it is untestable, hence unprovable. Unlike all valid theories, intelligent design has no predictive potential. (Evolution by contrast has had enormous success in predicting the presence of once undiscovered evidence that supports the theory.) The intelligent design crowd is careful never to suggest that the “designer” is the Christian God or any other supreme being; that would undermine their advocacy that ID is constitutionally permissible in the public sector. They often resort to tautology in trying to support their assertions of the rationality of ID. They make use of “arguments of ignorance”, i.e. that flaws or gaps in proof for one theory prove the validity of an alternate theory. So, by this thinking, gaps in evidence (say, the so-called missing links in transition of species) of natural selection prove that another theory must be right. Well, a brick wall with a few missing bricks is still a brick wall. While careful to avoid sounding theological in public pronouncements ID advocates in their strategy sessions have been clear that they are seeking to advance religious credo. In the well-known federal court case Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District, the judge held, after a long bench trial where the views of ID and evolution were closely argued, that intelligent design was a ruse blatantly misrepresented as science whose introduction into classrooms was an impermissible crossing of the church-state boundaries.
Nye’s book is a collection of short chapters outlining the principles upon which the theory of evolution is grounded. Intended for the lay reader, Nye cogently describes how evolution works and, importantly, how the advance of theoretical, exploratory and experimental work since Darwin has cemented the validity of the theory. (For instance, the role of genes in passing along functions and traits was unknown for years after Darwin’s work.) Nye is a well-known science educator and recently engaged in a televised debate with a prominent creationist. This man’s position was so outlandish in its total adherence to the narrative of the bible that debating him was almost valueless until you consider that many people believe this version of history. It is a bit of a puzzle that Nye did not critique in much detail the positions of the intelligent design proponents as these are much more subtle and beguiling to the general public than strict biblical literalism
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LibraryThing member mountie9
The Good Stuff
I want to bow down and thank (insert higher power or evolution) for Bill Nye. He made me become fascinated by science. I am 45 years old and with the exception of Chemistry (also thanks to a book, in this case Alan Bradley's Flavia mysteries) had no interest in science and quite
Made evolution sound sexy and cool
Explains some very complex issues in a straight forward relatively easy to understand way
Frickin hilarious at times
Treated those who have faith with respect (well maybe not the Creationists)
So much passion for his work, it was hard not to get excited as him with the enthusiasm in his voice (Yeah listened to this one)
I now want to watch every episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy with my kids - I want them to experience science in the way it should be taught
Highly recommend you listen to this, Nye has a wonderful fun speaking voice
Walking whale - trust me, fascinating
The chapter on intelligent design really makes you think (and laugh)
Really want to look into more about research into growing new spinal nerves in mice (or rats forgot to write down notes) as my son has Spina Bifida
Always thought that Racism was stupid (yes I am being simplistic) but the chapter on skin colour and evolution scientifically shows us that we are all basically the same genetically - so if you hate someone based on the colour of the skin, you are a moron (again being simplistic)
Love where he paraphrases the gorilla and them getting the shorter end of the genetic stick - funny and sadly true - worth the price of the book alone
Explains a scientific concept using that Carrie Underwood song that Jeff hates
The Not So Good Stuff
I now want to meet someone more than David Tennant - seriously!
Um must remember not to talk to someone about this book who is extremely religious - oops sorry wonderful lady
Ok sometimes it was over my head - but it did make me want to go look things up
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"To be successful as a living thing, you have to have offspring, who have offspring, who have offspring. Rest assured, your family did, or you wouldn’t be here. As troubling as it may seem, your parents had sex—at least once. If you have brothers and sisters, more than once … One shudders to think of it.”
"We are all going to die - I know, it sucks. But its the way of our world."
“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.”
“This is one of the reasons I get such joy from studying evolution. This kind of science is amazing and sexy.”
5 Dewey's
I borrowed this audio book from Jen and I want to thank her so much for encouraging me to listen to it
I want to bow down and thank (insert higher power or evolution) for Bill Nye. He made me become fascinated by science. I am 45 years old and with the exception of Chemistry (also thanks to a book, in this case Alan Bradley's Flavia mysteries) had no interest in science and quite
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frankly thought I was too stupid to understand it. Nye explained things in a way that made sense and made me want to know more. I want to go back to school and learn everything. But lets face it the teachers I had made it all sound so boring. Hmm new plan - win lottery and pay Bill Nye to teach meMade evolution sound sexy and cool
Explains some very complex issues in a straight forward relatively easy to understand way
Frickin hilarious at times
Treated those who have faith with respect (well maybe not the Creationists)
So much passion for his work, it was hard not to get excited as him with the enthusiasm in his voice (Yeah listened to this one)
I now want to watch every episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy with my kids - I want them to experience science in the way it should be taught
Highly recommend you listen to this, Nye has a wonderful fun speaking voice
Walking whale - trust me, fascinating
The chapter on intelligent design really makes you think (and laugh)
Really want to look into more about research into growing new spinal nerves in mice (or rats forgot to write down notes) as my son has Spina Bifida
Always thought that Racism was stupid (yes I am being simplistic) but the chapter on skin colour and evolution scientifically shows us that we are all basically the same genetically - so if you hate someone based on the colour of the skin, you are a moron (again being simplistic)
Love where he paraphrases the gorilla and them getting the shorter end of the genetic stick - funny and sadly true - worth the price of the book alone
Explains a scientific concept using that Carrie Underwood song that Jeff hates
The Not So Good Stuff
I now want to meet someone more than David Tennant - seriously!
Um must remember not to talk to someone about this book who is extremely religious - oops sorry wonderful lady
Ok sometimes it was over my head - but it did make me want to go look things up
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"To be successful as a living thing, you have to have offspring, who have offspring, who have offspring. Rest assured, your family did, or you wouldn’t be here. As troubling as it may seem, your parents had sex—at least once. If you have brothers and sisters, more than once … One shudders to think of it.”
"We are all going to die - I know, it sucks. But its the way of our world."
“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.”
“This is one of the reasons I get such joy from studying evolution. This kind of science is amazing and sexy.”
5 Dewey's
I borrowed this audio book from Jen and I want to thank her so much for encouraging me to listen to it
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LibraryThing member jms001
The undeNYEable science book.
Ok. There are more in depth science books out there, especially for those that are more interested into understanding the gritty details of science fact. And because I like to read those books, I can say that there was nothing groundbreaking about some of the evidence
For anyone looking to get their feet wet with some scientific facts on why evolution is a proven theory, this is a great place to start. And honestly, there are a number of other great works out there. A few I can think off of the top of my head? On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin; A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson; and The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. All great reads that further support why evolution is evidence based and allows for sound predictions to be made. That's science.
Bill Nye offers a witty humor to his writing, only pausing to reflect on how horrible of a boss he once had every now and then. Worth the read for anyone looking for fun science reads.
Ok. There are more in depth science books out there, especially for those that are more interested into understanding the gritty details of science fact. And because I like to read those books, I can say that there was nothing groundbreaking about some of the evidence
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that Nye presents to the reader. But that's exactly his point! If science education were more robust and there was more awareness of evidence that's right in front of us, there really wouldn't be any need for Bill Nye to write this book in the first place. But alas, when he found himself facing off against the not so infallible arguments of creationism, it was his impetus to share the knowledge.For anyone looking to get their feet wet with some scientific facts on why evolution is a proven theory, this is a great place to start. And honestly, there are a number of other great works out there. A few I can think off of the top of my head? On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin; A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson; and The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. All great reads that further support why evolution is evidence based and allows for sound predictions to be made. That's science.
Bill Nye offers a witty humor to his writing, only pausing to reflect on how horrible of a boss he once had every now and then. Worth the read for anyone looking for fun science reads.
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LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
In Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, Bill Nye examines the theory of evolution with the excitement and enthusiasm which he brings to all of his work. He describes the evidence and processes of evolution from the earliest microorganisms 3.5 billion years ago up to modern Homo
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sapiens, outlining the story of life on Earth in a logical, highly-readable form. From the beginning, he explains that evolution, like gravity, is a scientific theory and that, unlike the vernacular use of the term, a theory in science denotes something that has continually stood up to repeated testing and can be used to predict future outcomes. He respectfully addresses the problems inherent in creationist ideology, explaining how, beyond providing a useless answer which can offer no use as a predictor of future outcomes, it fails to explain the diversity of life today or the observable processes in nature. My only complaint is that he is perhaps too respectful in dealing with an ideology that revels in and celebrates willful ignorance. Undeniable is a wonderful book for explaining evolution and his discussion on race offers insights that, taken to heart, could help people put an end to their racial biases. Truly, one of the best books about science in the past decade. Show Less
LibraryThing member schatzi
I purchased a copy of this book when it was first published, because, well, BILL NYE. I grew up watching Bill Nye the Science Guy on television (usually in science class at school) and just fell in love with his extremely approachable take on science. A lot of science teachers, unfortunately,
I also downloaded the audiobook from Audible, and it has been sitting on my ipod for at least two years, unfortunately. But yesterday, during a long drive to the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska (about five hours one way for me), I decided to listen to the book - and what an incredible experience! It totally jazzed me up for the National Monument trip. (The NM, by the way, was amazing, and I would highly recommend it if you are within driving distance. This isn't a "postcard" stop - it's dedicated mostly to a collection of fossils found on this property, which are displayed in the very nice, modern museum at the Visitor's Center. I hiked both trails and enjoyed myself immensely. They also had several brochures available, including - gasp! - one on climate change, which I snatched up instantly, because this "so-called" administration is so freaking anti-science, and anti-facts in general, that I am sure that it is only a matter of time before those brochures aren't allowed to be displayed or even printed by the park service. Sad.)
Anyway, it's rare for me to give a book five stars, but this is BILL FREAKING NYE we're talking about here. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of every second of this book, and if that isn't worthy of five stars, I don't know what is.
The seeds for this book were sown when Bill Nye debated Ken Ham, the curator of the Creation "Museum" in Kentucky. Of course Nye eviscerated Ham quite efficiently in the debate, which is to be expected, as Nye views facts and then logically tries to fit them into a reasonable framework, while Ham is only interested in twisting, distorting, or outright ignoring facts to make sure that his precious fairy tales aren't diminished in his eyes. (Having grown up in a very backwards area in which science is denigrated in favor of the ridiculousness of creationism, I feel that my bitterness is justified.) Nye continues to effectively and efficiently skewer creationism and the pseudo"science" that fuels it in this book, but he's quite polite about the whole thing.
He also goes further than this with various topics about science and evolution - racism (human beings are human beings), GMOs, how life started in the first place, etc, etc. And he just makes the entire journey damned fun. He's a great narrator, and I was transported back to my childhood, when I would watch him for hours and dream of being a cool scientist like Bill Nye someday (unfortunately, I didn't go into the experimental side, which I kind of regret now, haha).
I would recommend this book to anyone - creationist (be prepared to have your "beliefs" completely razed to the ground), those who value science, those who don't (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?), and just anyone in general. It's a great book, and not just because Bill Nye admits that he's read Fifty Shades of Grey (brb loling forever).
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tended to make the subject seem really boring - but Bill Nye made science exciting! I loved seeing how into his experiments, and science in general, he was, and it really made me look at science a different way. Maybe that's why I chose a career that uses physics on a daily basis! And my adoration of Bill Nye has only continued into adulthood - I have a Bill Nye sticker on the back of my car to this day, and of course I bought the autographed copy of the book from B&N (BILL NYE TOUCHED MY COPY OF THIS BOOK OMG - ahem). ;) I also downloaded the audiobook from Audible, and it has been sitting on my ipod for at least two years, unfortunately. But yesterday, during a long drive to the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska (about five hours one way for me), I decided to listen to the book - and what an incredible experience! It totally jazzed me up for the National Monument trip. (The NM, by the way, was amazing, and I would highly recommend it if you are within driving distance. This isn't a "postcard" stop - it's dedicated mostly to a collection of fossils found on this property, which are displayed in the very nice, modern museum at the Visitor's Center. I hiked both trails and enjoyed myself immensely. They also had several brochures available, including - gasp! - one on climate change, which I snatched up instantly, because this "so-called" administration is so freaking anti-science, and anti-facts in general, that I am sure that it is only a matter of time before those brochures aren't allowed to be displayed or even printed by the park service. Sad.)
Anyway, it's rare for me to give a book five stars, but this is BILL FREAKING NYE we're talking about here. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of every second of this book, and if that isn't worthy of five stars, I don't know what is.
The seeds for this book were sown when Bill Nye debated Ken Ham, the curator of the Creation "Museum" in Kentucky. Of course Nye eviscerated Ham quite efficiently in the debate, which is to be expected, as Nye views facts and then logically tries to fit them into a reasonable framework, while Ham is only interested in twisting, distorting, or outright ignoring facts to make sure that his precious fairy tales aren't diminished in his eyes. (Having grown up in a very backwards area in which science is denigrated in favor of the ridiculousness of creationism, I feel that my bitterness is justified.) Nye continues to effectively and efficiently skewer creationism and the pseudo"science" that fuels it in this book, but he's quite polite about the whole thing.
He also goes further than this with various topics about science and evolution - racism (human beings are human beings), GMOs, how life started in the first place, etc, etc. And he just makes the entire journey damned fun. He's a great narrator, and I was transported back to my childhood, when I would watch him for hours and dream of being a cool scientist like Bill Nye someday (unfortunately, I didn't go into the experimental side, which I kind of regret now, haha).
I would recommend this book to anyone - creationist (be prepared to have your "beliefs" completely razed to the ground), those who value science, those who don't (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?), and just anyone in general. It's a great book, and not just because Bill Nye admits that he's read Fifty Shades of Grey (brb loling forever).
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LibraryThing member shaunesay
Evolution is such a controversial subject. It seems to either make perfect sense to a person or the complete opposite. For the record, I'm on the side of evolution, it just makes sense to me, so in this case Bill was preaching to the choir. This was a fun listen for me because I enjoy science talk
I'm going to say, if you're already on board, and want a fun science lecture packed with interesting information, definitely give it a listen since Bill narrates himself. If you're undecided, still give it a listen and see what you think, and try to give Bill a pass for being not so diplomatic about the opposing side. If you're firmly on the side of Creationism... well... I don't know, I'll have to leave that up to you. :)
Read/Listened to for the 2016 I Love Libraries Challenge
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when the person lecturing is excited about their subject and can make it fun. Bill is well versed in doing exactly that having had his Bill Nye the Science Guy show, aimed at getting kids interested in science. He's conversational and humorous and just super excited about it! He also makes no bones about which side of the fence he's on, and what he thinks of those who are on the other side. I'm not sure how this would go over with someone who is undecided about evolution vs. creationism, but it certainly isn't going to change the mind of someone firmly on the Creationist side. Instead I think it would put them on the defensive and make them even more determined to fight their case. And lets face it, in most subjects where there are such opposing views that are passionately defended, neither side is going to change the mind of the other.I'm going to say, if you're already on board, and want a fun science lecture packed with interesting information, definitely give it a listen since Bill narrates himself. If you're undecided, still give it a listen and see what you think, and try to give Bill a pass for being not so diplomatic about the opposing side. If you're firmly on the side of Creationism... well... I don't know, I'll have to leave that up to you. :)
Read/Listened to for the 2016 I Love Libraries Challenge
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LibraryThing member melydia
After his much-hyped debate with Ken Hamm over evolution, Bill Nye decided he had more to say on the subject. It manages to be pretty light-hearted while covering a wide range of topics related to evolutionary biology. I don't know that this book would convince a die-hard creationist, but I'm also
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not sure it's meant to. I appreciate its additions to my understanding of how life works on this planet, and opened my eyes to a large number of discoveries I wasn't aware of. More importantly, Nye offers numerous examples of why it's important to ask these questions and understand the answers. And that's where this book works best: as a jumping off point to learn more. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gingermama
If classes in American middle and high schools could be taught with the enthusiasm found in this book, our students would be much more engaged with the natural sciences. Presented in a series of essays on various topics centered on evolution, the book is as entertaining as it is educational. The
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last few chapters, in particular, had me pausing more than once to ponder things I'd never considered before. Highly recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member GlennBell
While I agree with what Bill Nye states in his book, I think in general his discussions are information that is well known. The book is written for a general public and thus is written at a somewhat simple level. I appreciate that he is promoting a scientific view of the world. Bill's debate with
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Ken Hamm seems to be a significant event discussed. I recommend the book to those with limited scientific understanding. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pferdina
Although I did not learn much new about evolutionary science, I did enjoy the stories Bill Nye told about being an engineer.
LibraryThing member KamGeb
It was very informative and funny at the same time. There are so many interesting facts that I had never heard before. There also were a lot of interesting philosophical questions he brought up, such as the issue with microbes being brought into outer space where there might be other life. And what
The one thing that bothered me was that the book was condescending towards creationists. I feel like there is a way to make your point without belittling people who disagree with you, even if you think your opponent is completely wrong.
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would man microbes do to the alien life. The one thing that bothered me was that the book was condescending towards creationists. I feel like there is a way to make your point without belittling people who disagree with you, even if you think your opponent is completely wrong.
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LibraryThing member wellreadcatlady
I grew up very confused about religion and science. The church was teaching us God created Adam & Eve and that lead to us. School was teaching evolution and showing us proof of it with fossils, including dinosaurs. This lead me to think Adam & Eve and all the people around Jesus time were created
I loved Bill Nye growing up and he writes about science beautifully, can really feel the passion and the way he explains things makes it very understandable. The shade he throws at creationism is hilarious. Undeniable makes me wish Bill Nye will write a text book for evolution, because it is a difficult concept to grasp, but he explains it so well. He explains the history, importance and the possible future of evolution throughout the book and calls out ignorance from religious leaders while doing so. Unfortunately I don’t think the people who need to read this book will because they are stuck in their way, but its great for people who like science or are just curious. If you were a fan of Bill Nye growing up you won’t be disappointed!
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then somehow destroyed and evolution restarted things, I thought this until I was 9. I think once you have a basic understanding of science (especially evolution) it puts major pressure on your religious beliefs. Science can explain things with proof, it doesn’t guarantee to be right but its making a guess at it using measurable and observable metrics, where as religion you are told just to have faith and not think too deeply about it. Luckily I didn’t learn much about creationism in school, at most it was a definition or a paragraph in my text books that was read and moved on from. Basically I don’t think this book is targeted to me, I already believed in evolution and took advance geology classes that explain some of the more complicated chapters of Undeniable, but I enjoyed the book non the less, it was a refresher for me.I loved Bill Nye growing up and he writes about science beautifully, can really feel the passion and the way he explains things makes it very understandable. The shade he throws at creationism is hilarious. Undeniable makes me wish Bill Nye will write a text book for evolution, because it is a difficult concept to grasp, but he explains it so well. He explains the history, importance and the possible future of evolution throughout the book and calls out ignorance from religious leaders while doing so. Unfortunately I don’t think the people who need to read this book will because they are stuck in their way, but its great for people who like science or are just curious. If you were a fan of Bill Nye growing up you won’t be disappointed!
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LibraryThing member Daumari
For such a short book, it took me a surprising amount of time to finish it (partly due to business, but still). It's a little hard to review because I'm not the target audience- there were no mindblowing observations made because I have a background in science. For someone less familiar with
I take issue with some of the end chapters (30 onwards), though. This is where Nye gets into cutting edge, sometimes controversial science and in some cases he leaves it up to the reader (while providing questions that should be applied to any field). But for others, he takes a clear stand- no on genetic modification, no on human cloning. The ethics of the latter are obvious, but genetic modification has so much potential for a wide array of uses. Nye's criticisms are based on effects a new modified species would have on the ecosystem (regardless of the kind of modification- gene silencing and insertion are considered in the same boat). He then cites hybridization as a method we've proven to work... completely ignoring that hybridizing IS modification, albeit at a much cruder level, and that through domestication we've already irreparably changed ecosystems! I can't help but feel this difference of opinion could be due to background- Nye is an engineer while I have a genetics degree. As one of the recognizable popular scientists, he has a huge platform that people follow, and I worry sentiments like these will kill much-needed research. These later chapters also include debunking the concept of race (that at a genetic level, it's nonexistent- skin tone is more reflective of what latitude your ancestors lived in) and astrobiology, which are worthy ideas to chew on.
Recommended for that waffling creationist uncle at Thanksgiving or people looking for an easy to digest way to learn evolution. With anecdotes from his past, Nye is a friendly guide to these concepts.
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evolutionary concepts (or even the scientific process and the joy of discovery), this book does a good job of explaining in informal Nyeisms how the world works. I take issue with some of the end chapters (30 onwards), though. This is where Nye gets into cutting edge, sometimes controversial science and in some cases he leaves it up to the reader (while providing questions that should be applied to any field). But for others, he takes a clear stand- no on genetic modification, no on human cloning. The ethics of the latter are obvious, but genetic modification has so much potential for a wide array of uses. Nye's criticisms are based on effects a new modified species would have on the ecosystem (regardless of the kind of modification- gene silencing and insertion are considered in the same boat). He then cites hybridization as a method we've proven to work... completely ignoring that hybridizing IS modification, albeit at a much cruder level, and that through domestication we've already irreparably changed ecosystems! I can't help but feel this difference of opinion could be due to background- Nye is an engineer while I have a genetics degree. As one of the recognizable popular scientists, he has a huge platform that people follow, and I worry sentiments like these will kill much-needed research. These later chapters also include debunking the concept of race (that at a genetic level, it's nonexistent- skin tone is more reflective of what latitude your ancestors lived in) and astrobiology, which are worthy ideas to chew on.
Recommended for that waffling creationist uncle at Thanksgiving or people looking for an easy to digest way to learn evolution. With anecdotes from his past, Nye is a friendly guide to these concepts.
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LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Absolutely fantastic audio book narrated by the author himself, Bill Nye, the Science Guy, on evolution and evolutionary theory. Compellingly written and produced, the subject and possibilities make for fascinating listening.
LibraryThing member themulhern
The first time I tried listening to this, I was really put off. I felt it was smug and kind of stupid. I tried again, got through the Hamm-debate chapter, and then the book really started to pick up and get kind of interesting. The audiobook is read by Bill Nye himself; he can not do any sort of
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regional or national accent and he should not have tried. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
309 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
1250007135 / 9781250007131
Local notes
Signed